Improvement in machine for polishing spokes



unina @sam J. v. WOOLSEY, or SANDUSKY, OHIO.

Letters Patent No.94,l63, dated August 24, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N MAGHINE FOR 'POLISHING sPoKE-s.

The Schedule-:referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 'of the s'a'me.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, J. V. WOOLSEY, of Sandusky, in the county of Erie, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machine for Polishing Spokes; and I do hereby declare that the following Vis a full and complete description of the same, reference being had to theaccornpanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whch- Figure l is a side view of the machine.

Figure 2, a .view ofthe top.

Figure 3, a view ofthe front end.

Figures 4 and 5,' detached sections:

Like letters of reference refer to like partsv in the several views presented. y

This invention has for its object the polishing of v'spokes to a pattern or cam, holding the felloe-end at the centre, so that, as said spoke is made to revolve, its surface will be 'brought equally and evenly to the polishing-apron.

A represents a ii'arne, in the upper side of which are journalled the rollers B C D, over and around which is carried an endless apron or belt, E.

The roller I) is'so attached to the frame, that it A is I. adjustable for giving tension to the apron.

C isa supporting-roller', the lpurpose of which willv hereinafter be shown. l

G, g. 3, is a supplementary frame, in which, is journalled a shaft, H.

To said shait is attached a cross-bar,I, iig. 2, by means ofthe arm J.

K is a stay, one end of which is pivoted to the crosshar at a, whereas, the opposite end is free, so that it farti11 be elevated or vibrated, as indicated by the line E, g. 3. 5"

At the free end of said stay, between the armsL, is journalled a cam, M, a detached view of which. is shown in fig. 4.

At the pivoted end of said stay, isa centre, N, the stem of which passes upV through, and 'projects above the block O. v

The projecting end of said stem is embraced by a coiled spring, P, whereby said centre is retained within the block, and allowed to adjust itself to the oval ofthe spoke, as willlrereinafter be shown,

` Q is 'a clzmrp, whereby the tenen-end of the spoke isheld. ,Said clamp, it will be observed, is securedto the sani'e shaft to which the 'cam is fixed, and turns con.l jointly therewith, as and for a purpose presently shown;

It is a spring, by means of which thel free end of the stay is depressed, thereby holding the'spoke D in close contact with the apron.

A- is an arm or lever, whereliythe shalt is made to` .under the edge of which it runs in a circular notch,

vibrate by means of the treadle-lever. to which it is connected by the link O', so that the cross-bar, stay, and spoke D can be elevated 0r vibrated collectively, 'as indicated bythe dotted lines c, figs. l and 3.

The practical operation of this machine' is as follows:

The spoke to be polished, is placed' in the machine, -as shown in fig. 3, in which it will be seeu that the felloe-end is` held by the centre N, whereas the opposite end is held by the clamp Q, into which it is inserted, and secured by the set-screws e.

The belt E, which is of sanded loth, is now made to revolve.

'lhe spoke D' is also rotated by the crank E', bringing, thereby, the surface of the spoke to the face of the .revolving apron, which, by virtue of its sanded nature, smooths and polishes down the roughness of the spoke.

I am aware that spokes havebeen polished by being made to rotate in contact with a sanded -revolving belt. In such machines the spoke, iu consequence of its unequal diameters or Oval' character, is cut away more rapidly at theedge, or the greater diameter, than shape, and unequal in size, for the reason that the elliptical, shape. of the spoke only governs its contact with the apron; 4hence the pressure exerted upon it in order to keep itin contact with the belt, is ,greater lwhen the spoke is edgewise to the apron than when presenting its flattened sides thereto; hence the un'- equalrednction orcutting down of the surface of the spokes, and consequent irregularity in them. l To avoid this defect in suclrmachines, I have resorted to the use of the'cam or pattern M, above referr-ed to, whichis, in shape, that of a transverse section ofthe spoke, elliptical.

Said cam being on the shaft to which the clamp Q is secured, and wherein is held the tenori-club of the spoke, necessarily. rotates, with it;

The cam, as'it revolves, slides or runs upon the arm F", iig. l, which vibrates the stay in which the sp'oke is-lield, instead of the stay being vibrated by the spoke. .Y l

By this device, it will be obvious, that the pressure Vupon the spoke will be equalized as the cam adapts the spoke to the apron, hence the reduction or cutting down ot' the roughness will be equal over its en- .tir'e surface, as no more pressure is exerted upon thel spoke at one side than on another, while it is kept revolving; hence, any number Aof spokes will have a uniformity in shape and size.

. Also, as before said, the felice-end of the spoke is held by the centreN, on which it revolves.

'lhe e'xtrerneend being kept down bythe plate G',

on the iattened side, or the shorter diameter, the result'of which is, that the spokes become irregular i'n `as t-he end ofthe spoke is not round, but slightly oval,

the spring P allows the centre to adjust itself to the elliptical rotation of the spoke, therefore it is readily v and equally brought to the surface of' the polishingapron or belt; hence it is worked down uniformly with the entire length 'of the spoke, the large end of which'iscontrolled by the action of the cam, as above said.

The spoke, in its application to the belt, is pressed .thereon with more or less strength by the treadles B',

be slightly deflected by the pressure, its resistance, in

consequence of the vnearness of the rollers, will be such as to oppose a strong and even surface to the spoke.

It will be obvious, that other'irregular forms than spokes can be polished in'this machine, such as axe` handles, 85e., in which case, if 'the article' is greatly irregular, a full pattern ofthe article will be require instead of a section or cam, as above shown.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

upou theldriving-arbor that-revolves the spoke D',

upon rock-shaft H, and treadle B', with the revolving endless polishing-apron E, all constructed to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

tion with the pivoted stay K, constructed to operate substantially as described.4

3. The adjustable central supporting-roller C, vwhen apron E, and spoke D', for the purpose substantially as described'.

lVitnesses:

S. 0. WHEELER, C. -H. HUBBARD.

'11. rlhe combination of the cam M, which is adjusted thepivoted adjustable stay K, and frame vibrating 2. The adjust-able yielding centre N, iu combnaarranged with relation to rollersB and D, endless J. V. WOOLSEY. 

